Battle of the Dragons Chapter 12, a pride and prejudice fanfic

Since you insist...

~O~

Courting Dragons

Jane blushed at being addressed by Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Lady Matlock was astonished at her son's outburst, but seeing Jane's reaction caused her to suspect the reason. Yet she ignored both and performed the introduction with her usual aplomb.

Richard politely acknowledged the introduction to both sisters by saying, 'I am pleased to make your acquaintance properly.' After briefly greeting everyone else he again turned to Jane and said with a broad smile, 'I hope your maid was able to save your gown.'

Isabella, who had been informed of the occurrences of the previous day, exchanged glances with her friend. 'I gather he was the officer who assisted Jane yesterday?' she asked quietly as she and everyone else was now being ignored by the pair.

Lady Matlock's smile mirrored her son's. She nodded as she led most of her new guests to greet everyone else. Taking Isabella's arm, she leaned close and whispered, 'Richard asked for my help to find the lady who had so greatly impressed him.'

A brief glance over her shoulder showed Richard and Jane deep in conversation in the relative privacy granted to them.

Jane, who had started to regain her composure during the formal introduction, became flustered again at Richard's words. 'Rose is very skilled at her work,' she answered. Not wanting to dwell on her dishevelled state of the previous day, she asked, 'Did you remain on the scene after we departed? Do you know if the boy will recover?'

'The doctor was quite optimistic since he had been very well and expeditiously tended. He set the broken bone and finished cleaning the rest of his injuries. One of the bystanders recognised the boy and informed us that his family lives only two streets away. We took him there and he will be well looked after.'

During Richard's report, Jane sighed with relief. 'I am glad that he has someone who cares about him.'

'He was also fortunate that you sent for the doctor and covered his fee.' Richard hesitated but could not resist asking. 'I have been curious. Why did you send for a doctor rather than an apothecary? While the boy was lucky that you called for someone so well qualified, an apothecary would have been cheaper.'

That question caused Jane to turn scarlet, but she looked Fitzwilliam firmly in the eye as she asked, 'Do you ever have trouble pronouncing a particular word?'

'I have been known to mispronounce an occasional word,' he admitted with a somewhat puzzled expression at the non sequitur. He did not mention that on those occasions he was usually foxed.

'I am afraid I have that problem with a couple of words. If I think about it and enunciate very carefully, I can say the words properly. When I am in a hurry, they often come out wrong. One of them is apothecary.' Richard noticed that she did indeed pronounce it carefully. 'Which is why I have developed the habit of asking for a doctor. At home I simply ask for Mr Jones if medical assistance is required.'

During Jane's explanation he struggled to suppress the twitch of his lips. It seemed so incongruous that a lady as competent as Miss Bennet would struggle to properly pronounce a word. He thought it rather endearing. Not wanting to embarrass the lady he kept a straight face and only said, 'I gather Mr Jones is the apothecary in your area.'

'Indeed.' Jane glanced towards her aunt. 'It is fortunate that Aunt Isabella has a generous nature. The footmen who accompany us always carry funds to cover emergencies.'

Mention of the Duchess made them realise that they had forgotten about the other members of the party. Richard smiled and offered his arm, 'Much as I hate to share your attention, I think we really should be sociable. May I introduce you to anyone whom you have not yet met?'

'Thank you. I appreciate the offer,' Jane replied and laid her hand on his arm.

~O~

As the party was in honour of Isabella and they had met most of her friends, there were only a couple of faces unfamiliar to Jane and Elizabeth. Once introductions had been made, everyone gathered in small groups and chatted.

As was usual on such occasions, Elizabeth was shadowed by Patrick, who was somewhat distracted this evening. He kept glancing towards Richard and Jane. 'How the mighty have fallen,' he sniggered.

Elizabeth gently nudged him and asked, 'What are you saying? I would appreciate the joke more if you could make sense.'

'My apologies,' he said, turning back to her. 'Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam had a reputation of being immune to the lure of a pretty face. Yet there he is, looking as besotted as any man I have ever seen. At least he has exquisite taste. Jane is one of the most beautiful women I have ever encountered… and I have encountered quite a few.'

'I doubt that was what he noticed yesterday when she was kneeling in the dirt, covered with blood.'

'You have been holding out on me, cousin. Pray tell, enlighten me. Why was Jane in such an unusual state?'

Elizabeth obliged him by relating an abbreviated version of the events.

'Yes, that would do it.' Patrick grinned at her. 'For several years, Lady Matlock has been parading a score of delicate, well-bred heiresses before him, without success. I guess he is more interested in someone who can deal with reality.'

He cocked his head and looked at Jane with speculation. 'Since I have met her, she must have been hiding her light under a bushel.'

'Many people underestimate Jane. She is sweet natured and prefers to look for the best in people. But there is another side to her which most people will never discover. She is strong enough to deal with those situations which she does not like, and she is as fierce as any dragon in the defence of people she loves.'

Patrick looked back toward the couple under discussion. 'Unless I am greatly mistaken, it seems she has found something she likes.'

Elizabeth followed his gaze and nodded with a slight smile. 'Much better than Mr Bingley.'

~O~

The following morning, at the earliest polite time for a visit, Colonel Fitzwilliam arrived at Deveril House, where he was expected, having gained permission to call on Jane.

Unlike most days, when the ladies gathered in the small family parlour, he was shown into the large drawing room. The ladies rose from their seats on the far end of the room and greeted their visitor.

As soon as they concluded the pleasantries, Isabella delighted in confounding their guest when she announced, 'I am pleased you are here to entertain Jane, as Elizabeth has challenged me to a game of chess, and I would hate to ignore her sister.'

'It would give me the greatest pleasure to converse with Miss Bennet,' Fitzwilliam assured her. He was grateful that he would not have to pretend interest in polite conversation with the others before he could find an opportunity to talk privately with Jane.

Isabella gave him a mischievous smile. 'I thought you would feel that way. Come, Elizabeth. We shall see how much you have improved.' So saying, she led Lizzy to the other end of the room where a chessboard had been set up.

'I am afraid Aunt Isabella is not always subtle in her machinations,' Jane said quietly.

'I must admit that such lack is rather refreshing,' Fitzwilliam replied with a broad grin, causing Jane to smile in relief.

'In the absence of my aunt, may I offer you refreshments?'

~O~

While Jane served tea, she relaxed. The Colonel did not seem in the least offended by Isabella's high-handed manipulation of the situation. On the contrary, he seemed pleased as she was with the opportunity to speak privately as the room was large enough for the other occupants not to hear them unless they shouted.

Once he had taken a sip of tea, Richard asked, 'Miss Bennet, since we are given the opportunity to speak, will it offend you if I speak plainly?'

Jane smiled beatifically. 'I wish you would. I believe that too many misunderstandings occur due to society's practise of speaking in riddles.'

Returning the smile, Richard sighed in relief. 'Thank you. First off, I would like to say how much you impressed me with your competence and compassion when I first saw you. Most ladies would have been more concerned about soiling their dress than an injured boy, especially one wholly unconnected to them.'

Jane inclined her head in acceptance of the compliment even as the colour rose in her cheeks. But seeing that the Colonel had not finished his speech she waited for him to continue.

'I immediately decided that I wished to get to know you and I was utterly delighted to be given that opportunity last night.' He grinned when he added, 'You should know that my mother has been trying to match me up with an heiress for years and has been most disappointed because I did not like any of the ladies she chose.'

Having listened with growing pleasure, Jane stiffened when he mentioned an heiress. She turned serious as she interjected, 'Colonel, before you go any further, you should know that I am no heiress and I have no dowry to speak of.'

Fitzwilliam seemed unperturbed. 'That is why I wished to speak with you. To give you a chance to decide whether you wish to get to know me, as I do not have much to offer a lady. Although, for the past decade I have been saving and investing my allowance which my father insists on providing for me and any other monies which came my way which I could spare. While I am not wealthy, once I sell my commission, I will have enough for a modest but comfortable life.'

A swarm of butterflies took flight in Jane's stomach at his words. It seemed that the Colonel was seriously interested in her since he would not discuss his finances so openly otherwise. She had to know. 'Modest by whose standards? The son of an earl or, say, a clergyman?'

That question caught Fitzwilliam by surprise and elicited a brief laugh. 'Considering that the average living for a clergyman is only about a hundred pounds a year, I have to say modest by my family's standards.'

'Colonel, I grew up on a small estate which supported a family with five daughters and a mother who did not know how to budget. Yet we managed rather well on two thousand a year, which included estate costs. Also, unlike my mother, I do know how to budget. A modest but comfortable life is perfectly acceptable to me. Does that answer your question?'

Fitzwilliam sported a big smile as he said, 'I am pleased to hear that you know how to budget. I recall my cousin's friend always complaining that his sister regularly overspent her very large allowance simply on fashion. I cannot understand how Miss Bingley can spend in excess of a thousand pounds a year on gowns.'

'Please, whatever you do, do not compare me with Miss Bingley,' cried Jane with a laugh. Feeling relaxed and as they had already spoken so openly, she did not censor her words when she added, 'I have much better taste.'

That comment made Fitzwilliam laugh as well until he suddenly realised that Jane was the epitome of the kind of women with whom Bingley always fell in love, although Richard felt it was more accurate to say he became infatuated. 'You know Miss Bingley?'

He was unsurprised when Jane replied, 'I have had the displeasure.'

'What about her brother?'

'Yes, Colonel, I have encountered Mr Bingley as well.' Jane hesitated a moment as she considered her next words. Based on how Fitzwilliam asked the questions, he was obviously familiar and unimpressed with Mr Bingley's usual behaviour.

Her hesitation gave Richard the time to ask, 'I have no wish to pry but I do wonder how he acted around you…'

'Yes, Colonel, he paid marked attention to me for several weeks and then he left without a word.' Encouraged by Fitzwilliam, she gave him a brief summary of what happened in Hertfordshire. She finished her tale, saying, 'While he is an amiable young man, and I thought I had developed feelings for him, I now realise that the attachment was superficial. In retrospect I consider myself lucky that his interest was fleeting.'

Having heard the whole story, Richard felt relieved. 'I confess that I am grateful he acted in his usual fashion. He does not deserve a lady as special as you. I am not certain that I deserve you either, but I hope that you will give me a chance.'

Jane's eyes shone as she answered, 'I would be most pleased to learn more about you.'

'What would you like to know?' Richard offered and for the next hour they spent exchanging histories.

~O~

Caroline Bingley was furious. Ever since that evening at the theatre she had not received a single invitation.

When she had seen the Bennet sisters, she had been delighted because she had the most delicious gossip imaginable. She knew the identity and background of the nobleman's latest mistress. That should have garnered her any number of invitation.

Yet no one was interested or believed her.

After the whole party laughed at her, Miss Grantly had even taken her to task. 'Miss Bingley, I tried to tell you that I heard the Earl introducing the ladies to a friend as his cousins. They are family, not his mistress. You just insulted the cousin of the Earl and by extension the Earl himself.'

Caroline defended herself. 'I just spent months in the benighted neighbourhood from which those women hail and everyone there knows that the Bennets only have connections to trade. I suppose the Earl is too young to claim those chits as nieces, which I am told is the usual way gentlemen refer to their mistresses. Which is why he called them his cousins. Trust me, I know of what I speak.'

No matter what she said, Miss Grantly and her friends refused to take her claims seriously.

It was not to be borne.

There was only one thing for it. She had to find further proof.

~O~